Junior was born in 2013. He was built in Beaufort, North Carolina according to plans by Graham Byrnes.
After 2 years of sailing, Junior was ready for some TLC. His makeover was our first project upon return to the states in spring of 2015.
Check out this short video of Brian taking Junior apart in the water: Video: Nesting Dinghy, Quick Disassembly.
Our new spring 2014 deck paint was interlux perfection, and kiwi grip for non-skid. After our 2015 exterior construction projects, we’ll be painting again. We like the old saying…If it doesn’t move paint it, if it does move, give it a paintbrush.
A previous owner of Dawn Treader had converted its tiller to rack and pinion wheel steering (bronze components and housing made this a heavy option). Simplicity, performance with wind vane, and weight reduction led us to change back to tiller. During the conversion, rotten deck core was replaced, vent cowls were sealed, a laminated tiller and new hardware (stainless steel cleats, main sheet wench, and main sheet blocks) were added.
Rotton deck core found! Located under the old anchor mounting hardware this spot was cut out and replaced with marine plywood.
Bobstay tang was encapsulated in a resin block and unserviceable. A new bobstay fitting was purchased and mounted higher on the stem. The new bobstay area was reinforced with fiberglass.
The previous chainplates were unserviceable as they were fiberglassed into their knees. The structure was compromised when inspected (and cut into), and they were also affected by crevice corrosion. Larger stock 316 stainless steel (1/4 in x 2 in) was used to fabricate new chainplates. These were mounted outboard on the hull (reinforced with 4 layers of 1708 biaxial fiberglass) after the old knees were cutout, increasing clearance for walking forward on deck, and decreasing loads on the mast.
Our deck joint leaked in multiple areas because of bond failure and separation. We fiberglassed the entire joint with 3 layers of 10oz FG tape, and increased thru bolt centers to a minimum of 6 in centers with 1/4 x 20 screws.
This job included gel coat peel, a fiberglass cap along the entire keel, filling thru-hulls, and barrier coat.
These images were taken sailing around the Atlantic. From Georgia, USA, to Bermuda, Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde, Caribbean, and back to the states. We’ll share more information about the locations we visited and some of our favorite anchorages in following posts.
sailing dawn treader 